Oakland County is in fact a pretty amazing story in itself. Within just a few miles of the Paint Creek Trail is a myriad of beautiful (and very useful) rail-trails and greenways - it might have flown under the radar somewhat, but this county has got to be one of the best trail destinations anywhere. All just a short drive from Detroit.

Rail and trail is a match made in heaven. All over the world there are great examples of rail operators and trail users working together for mutual benefit. Sometimes that involves trails connecting with light rail stops, or it could be a train carrying riders back to the trailhead so they can enjoy a one-way ride.

Some wonderful breaking news out of Illinois today with the announcement that, 20 years since the dream was first dreamed, the land has been purchased for the proposed Kickapoo Rail Trail in Champaign County.

The trails of California are as diverse as the landscape itself. From the bustling urban pathways to the lost-in-the-wild tracks of the backcountry, the vastly different settings and styles of trails in California makes them almost incomparable. So we thought we'd compare them.

California. It sure is a unique bird. That is doubly true when it comes to trails and active transportation planning. A massive space populated with a mixture of booming metropolises, sprawling suburbs, and sparse rural areas, the Golden State's budgetary position of late has forced locals to be creative, and determined, when it comes to building trails and safe places for people to bike and walk.

Ever since trains on the Mountain Goat Railroad stopped running in 1981, the people of the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee have wondered whether there was a way to turn this disused corridor into the asset and vibrant avenue it once was.

The convergence of a number of modern crises - the unsustainability of current oil consumption levels, the poor health of the American population, the impacts of pollution and the decimation of local main streets - has sparked great interest of late in designing transportation and living systems that might work better than those America is currently laboring under.